Whether the project will move forward is at the hands of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, according to a utility spokesperson. While Wisconsin Energy requested a May 15 decision, when the contract with Bechtel expired, the court had neither returned a verdict nor given an indication of when one can be expected.
In the meantime, WEC and Bechtel are in discussions to attempt to push back the project’s timeline – a less costly option than rewriting a deal, which would add some $US200 million to the existing $US2.15 billion price tag for the project.
The most recent version of the Bechtel contract mandated construction commence July 1, with a commitment date from WEC of May 15 so the builder could begin moving equipment to the site. That timeline is already an altered version, and the delay has cost WEC $US150,000 to $US200,000 each day the project has been delayed (per its agreement with Bechtel).
While there is no set time schedule for the Supreme Court ruling, it is believed an announcement will be made by the end of its current session in late June, a similar time schedule to that for renegotiations between WEC and Bechtel. In the meantime, WEC is reviewing alternative power options if the plants can’t be built.
